Package-box.



J. O. JOHNSON.

PACKAGE BOX. APPLIOAI'ION FILED APR. 5. 1913,

1,098, 322. Patente ay 26,

fav /W aZ/zm oawfi jahwwp JOHN OLIVER JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PACKAGE-BOX.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN OLIVER J onN- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inPackage-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to package boxes, particularly those intended forshipping and containing a number of articles intended to be keptseparate from each other.

In order to illustrate a special use to which my box may beadvantageously put I have shown it in the form of a seed box forcontaining garden and vegetable seeds.

It is common practice to inclose seeds n small envelope and to place theenvelops in a conspicuous place upon the counter or show cases of retaildealers handling such commodities. It is of great advantage to displaysuch goods attractively and the purpose of my invention is to provide abox of this character which shall be light, strong and cheap, and at thesame time fitting to display the goods completely and attractively notonly when the box is full but so long as any of the contents are leftunsold.

It is also an object of myinvention to provide a construction such thatthe receptacle may be shipped knocked down and be readily set up at thepoint of destination.

I accomplish my objects by the construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of thecomplete box sealed and ready for shipment when filled with garden seedsor other commodity. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the box of Fig.1 opened. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a perspective view of one of the removable partitions and spacingmembers. Fig. 5 is a view showing a box blank in flat form.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 5, the blank has a bottom a to which are connected endflaps b, a front flap 0, a back flap (Z and a cover flap 6. This blankwhen properly folded on the dotted lines shown in Fig. 5, produces areceptacle of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The flaps when thusfolded are readily fastened together by placing adhesive strips 7 at thefour vertical corners. The blank is formed preferably of corrugatedpaste board Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1913.

Patented May 26, 1914. Serial No. 759,255.

sheets covered front and back with plain sheets of cardboard, althoughother materials may be substituted. I have found, however, that thismaterial is of special ad vantage as it is cheap, easy to handle, stiffand light. The various compartments within the box are formed by fillersor partitions 9 shown separately in Fig. 4:. These partitions are alsopreferably formed of corrugated material like the body of the box. Atthe end of the partitions are spacing portions 9 which, in the preferredform, are integral with the main body of the partitions. The body of thepartitions extends from front to back of the box while the end portionslie adjacent to the front and back walls of the box, their free edgescontacting the back of the partition lying next to them. The resilienceof the material itself tends to hold the end portions in contact withthe inner surfaces of the front and back walls of the box andconsequently whether the box is loaded or not the partitions tend toremain in place without fastening devices 'or material of any kind. Thefiller occupying the left end of the box (see Fig. 2) is formed of fourinstead of three portions,

the fourth portion contacting the left end wall of the box. This fourthportion forms a support for the corresponding edge of the cover when thebox is closed. The height of the partitions is such that when the cover6 is in closed position it will rest upon the partitions and its uppersurface will come flush with the upper edges of the front and end wallsof the box. As a result of this construction, the edges of the cover areprotected by the front and end walls and the cover itself is firmlysupported by the partitions. As all of the upper edges of the partitionsassist in supporting the box cover, the latter is able to withstandgreat pressure; in fact the box as a whole is exceedingly strong. Notonly are the rims of the cover supported but the internal area of thecover is also supported, the latter resting upon the intermediateportions of the partitions.

To prepare the box for shipment,,after the box has been made and thepartitions inserted in the manner shown, the cover is lowered and maythen be sealed by pasting strips h of strong paper or cloth over themarginal edges. In other words, by running a strip of passepartout overthe margins of the cover and down over a portion of the front end andwalls of the box, the cover becomes securely fastened. When thus sealed,the box presents a very neat appearance as will be evident by referringto Fig. 1. Furthermore, the sealing strips add considerably to thestrength of the box as a whole, for they hold the cover down where theedges thereof will be protected by the box walls from lateral thrusts.When the box has reached its destination and the contents are to beexposed for sale, it is simply necessary for the merchant to run a knifethrough the binding strips it along the lines indicated by the dottedlines in Fig. 1. This line of cut is at the point where the edges of thecover meet the front end and walls of the box. The knife is thus guidedbetween the edge of the cover on one side and the wall of the box on theother, and the result is that the merchant is able to make both astraight and a clean cut with the result that the cut tap does notpresent any ragged edges which would spoil the appearance of the box.

From the above explanation it will be evident that my box may be readilyassembled and the partitions may be readily inserted and removed. Alsothat the box is light in weight and has great strength owing to themanner in which the cover is supported. The proportionate strength ofthe box renders it possible to use much lighter and cheaper materialthan is otherwise required and consequently the box may be produced socheaply that it is unnecessary for the receiving merchant to return thebox when emptied, to the original shipper. This results in a greatsaving of freight charges and saves annoyance for it is common practiceat the present time for seed houses to make their boxes of suchexpensive material in order to obtain the required strength that itbecomes necessary to require the retail dealers to ship the boxes backto the seed houses after the boxes have been emptied.

On account of the cheapness of my box, it may be destroyed when emptywithout entailing any appreciable loss.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

In combination, a box and loose fillers therein forming partitions, eachfiller standing on edge on the bottom of the box and having threeintegral portions, to wit, a central portion and two fiat end portions,the central portion extending from the front to the back of the box andthe end portions extending in the same direction from the centralportion, at right angles thereto, said front and rear portionscontacting the front and back of the box and being of the full height ofthe central portion to thereby prevent tilting of the fillers, saidfillers being of semiresilient material whereby their end portions tendto hug the front and back of the box and being of appreciable thicknessand having their plain edges in contact with the back of the adjacentfiller whereby they back up the adjacent filler and hold it properlyspaced.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

JOHN OLIVER JOHNSON. \Vitnesses JOHN S. MERRILL, K. M. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

